Is North Korea targeting San Diego for missile strikes?

U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor stealth fighter jet takes off from the runway during their military exercise at the Osan U.S. Air Base in Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, April 3, 2013. North Korea on Wednesday barred South Korean workers from entering a jointly run factory park just over the heavily armed border in the North in the latest sign that Pyongyang's warlike stance toward South Korea and the United States is moving from words to action. (AP Photo/Bae Jung-hyun, Yonhap) K
— AP

U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor stealth fighter jet takes off from the runway during their military exercise at the Osan U.S. Air Base in Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, April 3, 2013. North Korea on Wednesday barred South Korean workers from entering a jointly run factory park just over the heavily armed border in the North in the latest sign that Pyongyang's warlike stance toward South Korea and the United States is moving from words to action. (AP Photo/Bae Jung-hyun, Yonhap) K
/ AP

What do you think of the possibility of a North Korean missile attack against San Diego?

Or Hawaii, Texas or Washington, D.C., for that matter?

As tensions escalate in eastern Asia and the United States, people can't stop talking or joking about it. Read on and see who's funnier, Seth McFarlane or Jack Osbourne. Hear who sounds more stern, John Kerry or Chuck Hagel. Then join our conversation on social media and in the comments section below.

[Editor's note: Be sure to click the "Read More" buttons to get all the serious elements and comic gems of the post.]

Is San Diego in the line of fire?

San Diego a target for North Korea missile strikes?

Anxiety and jokes have proliferated on social media since a photograph circulated Friday showing San Diego (or Los Angeles) and three other U.S. cities on a North Korean government map marked "U.S. Mainland Strike Plan."

Move to San Diego, they said. North Korea totally won't mess with you, they said.Dino

I dare North Korea. hit San Diego first. I dare em!!!!dominick a duarte

The pics I saw of North Korea's "high tech" equipment looked like props from a shitty 1960's science fiction movie. Don't worry San Diego.Fa-Q

Inexplicably, there were even tweets like these two.

I hope North Korea drops a bomb in San Diegokarely

How about North Korea does all of San diego a favor and bombs Grossmont... #pleaseLogan Baker

Why San Diego? Our strong military presence might be one reason.

I wish they would send the marines in San Diego home I don't like Ryan being there with threats from North Korea!Morgan Sweeden

I hope North Korea doesn't plan a surprise attack on San Diego's navy bases. My blood line is out there!!!Chica

HEY GUYS WANNA HEAR SOMETHING COOL?If North Korea decides to bomb us they'll bomb San Diego because we have all the best naval bases and are currently working on a nuclear bomb and have a nuclear generator! Soooo y'all better run!Melissa Pante

The news also affected tourists.

So my mum cancelled my trip to California because of the threat North Korea placed on San Diego..Maria Valencia

Or not.

Everyone talking about N. Korea, and I'm over here like cant wait for San Diego next week. breeonuhhh

The other metropolitan areas shown as potential targets on the North Korean map were in Hawaii, in Texas (perhaps Austin or Dallas) and in Washington, D.C. Most people scoffed at the last two.

True enough, analysts doubt North Korean missiles could reach San Diego let alone the East Coast, and media reports reflected that. The BBC, for one, showed Alaska was in range but little else in the U.S.

How potent are North Korea's threats?The latest UN sanctions on North Korea unleashed an angry response. Pyongyang announced an end to all non-aggression pacts with the South...

Yet Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel Wednesday called North Korea "a real and clear danger" to South Korea, Japan and the U.S.. He cited threats against Guam (2,000 miles away from Korea), Hawaii and the West Coast in particular. "It only takes being wrong once, and I don't want to be the secretary of defense who was wrong once, so we will continue to take these threats seriously," he said.

Hagel: North Korea poses "real and clear danger"reuterstv

Prefer your international political news from an expert? Read the following insightful essay on current affairs from Stephen Haggard, a visiting fellow at the Washington, D.C.-based Peterson Institute for International Economics, and (a local guy!) the Lawrence and Sallye Krause Professor at the University of California, San Diego Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies.

North Korea: Witness to Transformation | What are the North Koreans Doing?Several weeks ago-on March 15 to be exact-we offered a "review of the bidding": an analysis of three successive statements in the first h...

On social media, everyone from San Diegans with the smallest soapboxes to reality TV stars with a million followers weighed in.

Now we are moving a missile defense center to Guam? I thought N. Korea was filled w empty rhetoric for posturing sake, this is getting real!Aubrey O'Day

Not every celebrity was so wound up as O'Day.

North Korea is basically Scrappy-Doo with nukes.Seth MacFarlane

So you think Kim Jung-Un will call Dennis Rodman to give him the heads up before he start lobbing nukes towards America?Jack Osbourne

Get it? Dennis Rodman? Remember? He just went to North Korea on some sort of diplomatic mission (read: publicity stunt.)

To all of you worried about North Korea: Dennis Rodman has this under control pic.twitter.com/iaQwSoMjYaCollin Lamar

Sure, Rodman does a mean Superman.

Creep and all but Best bulls rebounder.... #rodmantp112

But he's hardly a diplomat. I mean, he's got nothing on this guy.

This is the start of a project I would like to call Operation Reach Out, I over the next few weeks will be sending letters to all the United States Senators and Representatives one by one, the Vice President, the President, and the Chairman of North Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un. This project is to get the voice of not only myself but many across, this United States and North Korea problem cannot go any further. In this photo are the phone numbers and addresses of all the Senators and Representatives in Congress, the address of the White House, the contact information of Rand Paul who I hope will support the project, and lastly the address of Kim Jong Un, Chairman of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. The project will be started on Sunday, April 7th, 2013. #Operation #ReachOutPresident Rivera

Or, better yet, this guy.

Secretary Kerry Delivers Remarks With Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea Yunstatevideo

Secretary of State John Kerry stood next to a South Korean official Wednesday and spoke of North Korea's "unacceptable rhetoric". He said the U.S. "will defend and protect ourselves and our treaty ally, the Republic of Korea" and went on to promote the goal of a nuclear-free Korean peninsula. Relevant comments begin at 2:18.

So is there a danger or not? Seizing on a trend, Slate called North Korea's threats "unbelievable" the other day.

North Korea's Latest Unbelievable Threat: Bombing Austin, TexasYou know the rule by now: If the headline asks the question, the story most likely provides the less exciting/sensational/terrifying (in ...

And the country's nuclear testing and capability have been the subject of news stories and social-media satire for years.

North Korea Nuke Cartoonszen.shadow

But the satire has certainly escalated with the new tensions.

BREAKING NEWS: North Korea fighter jets take off for the US at Kim Jong-un's orders! pic.twitter.com/elUskn0Q37Hell's Addiction

North Korea.. pic.twitter.com/Hro6SxnhAQSab®™

New tensions? We misspoke. Let's just call them tensions because as Foreign Policy points out the nation's threats come near-daily now.

A running list of North Korea's near-daily threats (updated)If you're having a hard time keeping track of the multitude of threats issued by North Korea in the last few weeks, you're not alone: Kim...

More proof? Here's a timeline of events for the past month.

Timeline of recent events in North Korean tensionsFILE - In this 1996 file photo, released from Yonhap, Feb. 7, 2003, North Korea's spent nuclear fuel rods kept in a cooling pond are seen...

And the latest editorial from The New York Times is headlined:

It's North Korea, AgainRecent weeks of saber-rattling and military escalation have affirmed a harsh truth: North Korea - which is much closer to putting a nucle...

Still, in San Diego, worry persists. Jokes, too. Read on for more, including some at the expense of your favorite football team.

Everyones making jokes about North Korea but do you guys realize that San Diego is a major target......molly

North Korea, just please don't nuke San Diego. That place is a gem.Zachairius Wood

If San Diego's the first to be hit by North Korea's nuke, i'd cry...Rachel †

What if North Korea bombed San Diego like the Japense did to Pearl Harbor Jonathan Ziv

If North Korea gets one missile, one, into say San Diego, then they won. They just killed the majority of everyone in San Diego.Rob Gonzalez

Seriously though, I'd hate for my city to be the first one to go over this North Korea mess. San Diego is one of the largest military citiesPrivate Joker.

Glad I live in a military city like San Diego. Makes me feel safe from the fake threat that is North KoreaAvi Saini

I'm all set to go to MCRD San Diego and North Korea is making threats to attack leading us to war. #JustMyLuckSean Dorsey

Where tf will I be able to go if North Korea decides to launch nukes? Idk if San Diego even has bomb shelters smhrøb

My teacher confirmed that north korea has a nuke pointed at san diego. Quess i need be paying attention to the news lolPeter Banaga

Told my best friend that if North Korea blows up San Diego that he's my homie and I love him. He responded, "I'll see you in fucking hell."Nash Zahn

So San Diego is on North Korea's hit list......can y'all wait till after June please?Shakur (sha-core)

So if North Korea nukes LA or San Diego am I safe in Orange County?72 Spoke

Finally, as promised, a laugh at the expense of your Super Chargers.

North Korea is like the San Diego Chargers of the Communist states.Brant Walker

Ain't nobody nuking San Diego, so I'm straight. Unless N. Korea is just fed up with these flaw ass Chargers.Princeton Bowers

If you're still interested in this subject, here are two more Storifies on social media's reactions to the threats against U.S. cities, one by a San Jose Mercury News reporter, the other on Austin's reactions.

North Korea targets U.S. cities, social media reacts with humor, skepticism (with images, tweets) · deborapetersenAs news came down that North Korea is supposedly threatening specific U.S. cities, many on social media found it difficult to take any of...

Austin responds to North Korea nuke threat (with images, tweets) · ylwrseoftxImages of a map showing potential missile strikes in the United States taken in Kim Jong-un's war room were released Friday by North Kore...